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From the socio-economic standpoint (in a capitalistic/market-based system), a large, expanding middle class is the pre-requisite of political stability which in turn is an important condition for economic wellbeing and sustainability, as it also attracts foreign direct investments. But rising affluence also signals fewer people taking up professional sports unless the rewards are worth it.

Tennis, golf ,for example are viewed as richly rewarding,even table-tennis is considerably more so than badminton I was told. That seems to be the crux of the problem facing badminton in China presently. The need for badminton prize money to match the other more financially rewarding sports will become increasingly pressing in time to come if the sport is not to lose its lustre.

Otherwise,China would have to, sadly speaking, depend to a considerable extent on a sizeable army of unemployed for sports to be resorted to as a means of livelihood for those athletically inclined. Which also indicates the need for more state funding to make up for any slack in private sector sponsorships - it's a truism to say businesses invest in sports primarily to make money;just ask Yonex ,Li-Ning, OSIM,Citroen,etc.

It's almost like a chicken and egg question - which comes first,popularity of the sport or private sponsorships? For a start where either is missing or inadequate,state funding and support is essential as a catalyst to get things going before private sponsorships play a bigger role,everything else flows from there.

Not being knowledgeable in sport management,what I wrote above may be short on cogency or even flawed. Just my two-cents worth.

As incomes rise and the middle-income group becomes more dominant in China, more disposable income can be channelled into promoting badminton as a favorite recreational pastime and entertainment outlet. The spinoff effect will attract more active participants as sponsors, equipment suppliers and badminton-related businesses. With greater mass support, prize monies will increase to a point when players will find it lucrative enough to turn professional. So badminton will not die but continue to attract the talented to entertain fans all around the world.

There is no promotion needed for badminton being the favorite pastime in China. Badminton is the second most participated sport in China, only behind walking (if you can call it a sport).

Participating sport and competitive sport are two different things. Soccer/football is the most popular participating sport in Canada. But the Canadian team has not made the World Cup for decades.

At the top level, it is really a different game that requires careful strategic development and/or fortuitous godsend talents.

Indeed I would expect badminton to be one of the favorite sports in China, more for viewing spectators perhaps than for active participation as social players.

Even then, playing badminton in a proper hall with feather shuttlecocks is not cheap. Certainly more expensive than table-tennis, which may be more popular in China. In that sense, with more disposable income, badminton can be better supported and promoted to more sports loving people.

Right, table-tennis is a much cheaper sport than badminton, the equipment,booking of playing hall/room; just the shuttlecocks alone is a recurring expense, the restringing is another cost, much less so the table-tennis racquet, replacing the rubber is not frequently needed and the ball is reusable for a long while. So naturally many more people take up table-tennis as a leisure or amateur sport, on top of that,it's physically less demanding, so you can play the game well into your 50s or 60s.

For these reasons,I'm surprised table-tennis is not ranked ahead of badminton in popularity as a participation,not competitive sport, in China.

Generally speaking,China is basically a sport loving nation, and with such a huge population to boot, her almost natural ability to excel in one or other sport is a given.

When I was in Guanzhou during the 2010 Asian Games I was pleasantly surprised to see many elderly folks playing table tennis in the open. They just set up the table in an open air side street.

I also see basically women and young children playing badminton in the open, but unlike the more competitve TT folks, quite understandably, they were playing it like a garden game. To enjoy a good game of badminton it has to be played in a hall sheltered from the elements and with a feather shuttlecock. This is not cheap especially on developing countries. So a sizeable middle class can certainly help to support and promote the game.

That's the word from the government Sports Bureau. Badminton is the second most participated sport, after strolling.

As a spectator sport, badminton is behind many others such as soccer and maybe table tennis. However, it should be comfortably ahead of strolling.

Badminton got its big break after the SARS crisis. People started paying attention to health and badminton was a popular choice.

Note that an avid badminton player is not necessarily a fanatic badminton fan (as a paying customer at badminton tournaments). As a spectator sport, badminton still has a long way to go to achieve commercial success and widespread popularity.

According to one PBS article, One of the first public hints of improved U.S.-China relations came on April 6, 1971, when the American Ping-Pong team, in Japan for the 31st World Table Tennis Championship, received a surprise invitation from their Chinese colleagues for an all-expense paid visit to the People's Republic. Time magazine called it "The ping heard round the world." On April 10, nine players, four officials, and two spouses stepped across a bridge from Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland, ushering in an era of "Ping-Pong diplomacy." They were the first group of Americans allowed into China since the Communist takeover in 1949.

I don't have a direct link to the original document. I don't know if it is even online.

I have read enough collaborating references over many years to believe that is true. You may pick up the pursuit following the links and suggestion in my previous post.

Obviously, you are free to believe otherwise.

P.S. when googling, badminton is "羽毛球", I messed up the copy-and-paste in my previous post.

From my observation. badminton should be ranked below table tennis, basketball. Just compare how many table tennis tables and basketball court to badminton courts. In China's rural area, badmitnon courts are close to zero.

I still haven't done an encapsulation on XD but with the OG already upon us now, I'd rather wait for the final results, and the dust to settle. Still, it's just 2 girls holding up the XD flag for China, and no replacements in sight really.

Fortunately, Ma Jin is young enough to step up and assume top-dog role if anything untoward should happen to ZYL, who plays both XD and WD. The question then will be, who will she partner? More on this after a couple of weeks...

The title of this thread is ironical, instead China proceeded to achieve an unprecedented historic clean sweep of golds at the London Olympics. Perhaps now we can say such a feat will be hard to replicate for China or any nation for at least a decade or two.

No. After Lin, Cai and Fu retires, it's safe to say China will never be the same again.

We may have Zhao Yunlei in mixed doubles and women's doubles but the sad part is to see China producing one of the worst quality men's doubles pairs and singles player with the exception of Chen Long maybe but he is still not there yet.

Now that is quite embarrassing for a powerhouse.

No doubt,with Lin Dan's impending retirement and Cai/Fu ending their partnership in the not too distant future,it is a problem for CHN. But the ROW aren't spared the succession problem either. LCW,PG,Taufik,Lee HI,Chung JS,Tine,Schenk,J Fischer,and a few others - either retiring or near the end of the career. So relatively speaking, CHN will still be on top though may not be as dominant as at present.

Meanwhile, one or two new emerging powerhouses are replacing the other traditional ones soon (perhaps already?), possibly KOR,THAI, IND, JAP, DEN, not necessarily in that order but with KOR as the prime candidate.

As for CHN,don't forget her uncanny ability to produce worldbeaters at the drop of a hat as Gopichand once said albeit exaggeratedly, we may never know what the next couple of years will bring for her. That said,the ROW is closing the gap, a healthy sign for world badminton.

Can somebody be kind enough to disclose the profile details of Li Gen?

Now I know he is pairing with Liu Cheng and Luo Yu in MD and XD respectively.

I have been seeing him appearing out of no where alongside the Chinese champions when he doesnt have a reason to be there.
China/CBA is doomed to have such player representing the team who has not gone through the meritocracy system.

I feel there's no need to be unduly concerned or worried about Li Gen. He's just being tried out,if he's no good,nobody would want to partner him,merely wasting his time and others', and will soon fade away. In CHN as elsewhere ,only the best or those with sufficient potential get sent to international tourneys. I'm sure LYB knows his limit and wouldn't want to make a fool of himself and his son, no big deal. Ultimately,it's results that matter.